SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Park Geun-hye says the captain and some crew members of the sunken ferry committed 'unforgivable, murderous acts' in the disaster, which left more than 300 people dead or missing.

She made the comments Monday at a Cabinet briefing. The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and waited more than half an hour to issue an evacuation order as the ferry Sewol sank Wednesday. By then the ship had tilted so much that many of the roughly 240 people missing are believed to be trapped inside.

Park says the captain and crew "told the passengers to stay put but they themselves became the first to escape, after deserting the passengers." She says that "legally and ethically, this is an unimaginable act."